Briefly Noted: MSO Concert Airs Easter Sunday

Category: News || By Staff Report

The latest concert by the McKeesport Symphony Pops will be offered as a special Easter Weekend treat by Carnegie Mellon University's student-run radio station.

"A Musical Postcard," taped March 21 at McKeesport Area High School, will be broadcast at 4 p.m. Saturday over WRCT-FM (88.3). Although the station's signal is not strong in the Mon-Yough area, the concert will also be heard online at www.wrct.org.

The taping was supported by McKeesport Symphony Society and approved by Pittsburgh Musicians' Union AFM Local 60-471, which represents the members of the McKeesport Symphony Orchestra.

MSO Music Director Bruce Lauffer says the orchestra is reaching out to the Greater Pittsburgh area to let people know that McKeesport offers high-quality, professional symphony concerts.

"I was talking to someone from White Oak recently who told me that he wasn't aware that McKeesport had a symphony," Lauffer says. "We are working to change that."

He's seen similar economic challenges in McKeesport as in his native Jeannette and in Beaver County, where he now lives. But Lauffer says suggestions that the MSO move to a more prosperous community are misguided.

"This symphony belongs right here in McKeesport, where it's always been," he says.

The next McKeesport Symphony Pops concert, set for May 16, will feature Latin music, including Leonard Bernstein's score for the Broadway musical "West Side Story." Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and $8 for students, and may be purchased at the symphony's website.

PennDOT Opens W. Fifth Bids Thursday

Winter's snow and spring's thaws have caused the already horrific surface of West Fifth Avenue to become almost impassable due to potholes.

City Administrator Dennis Pittman jokes that Mother Nature has answered any doubts as to whether there were still trolley tracks under the pavement.

But Pittman and other city officials haven't been laughing about the year-long delay in repaving the four-lane street, which connects Downtown with Glassport via the 10th Ward and serves as a main artery for visitors approaching McKeesport from West Mifflin and Pittsburgh.

. . .

The waiting is finally coming to an end. On Thursday, the state Department of Transportation is scheduled to open bids for reconstructing West Fifth Avenue, Pittman says.

State officials last April approved the city's request for about $1 million to repave the street and remove the trolley tracks --- last used in 1963 --- that have caused potholes and other problems for decades.

But the Pennsylvania General Assembly didn't pass a budget until October --- 101 days late, and after the construction season had ended and asphalt plants had closed.

Once the bids are opened and approved, a contract to reconstruct the street and remove the tracks could be awarded at the April 7 council meeting, Pittman says.

. . .

Back in 1987, the now-defunct Mon Valley Commission, a study group appointed by the Allegheny County commissioners, recommended reconstructing West Fifth Avenue, but no money was ever provided to remove the trolley tracks.

With those tracks lurking just below the road's surface, past pothole repairs and repaving projects have been temporary bandages at best.

About 21,000 vehicles use West Fifth Avenue daily, according to PennDOT statistics.

. . .

If the bids aren't ready for council's April 7 meeting, City Solicitor J. Jason Elash says a special meeting would likely be called to hurry the process along. "I suspect that the second those bids were ready, the meeting would be called," Elash says.

"We're as anxious as the citizens to get that road fixed," Pittman says.

. . .

In a related story, city officials are apologizing for their failure to attend a March 24 meeting on the reconstruction of the W.D. Mansfield Memorial Bridge, which crosses the Monongahela River between McKeesport and Dravosburg. About 13,000 cars use the bridge every day.

The reconstruction of the county-owned span --- originally slated for last year --- has been delayed several times and is now scheduled for 2011.

Under the terms of a 1949 ruling by the state Public Utility Commission, county officials are demanding that the city and Glassport Borough pay a combined $270,000 towards rebuilding the ramps on the south end of the bridge.

. . .

City and Glassport officials have argued they shouldn't be held to the terms of a 61-year-old agreement which concerned the relocation of railroad tracks operated by two companies that no longer exist --- the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie and the Pennsylvania.

Pittman says the city's absence from the hearing was accidental and inadvertent, and was the result of illnesses and schedule conflicts. The city has apologized to state Reps. Bill Kortz of Dravosburg and Marc Gergely of White Oak.

According to Pittman, Kortz has told the city he will try to get the PUC's ruling reversed or overturned, by legislation if necessary.

Onorato Gets Mayor's Nod Ahead of Saturday Dem Rally

Allegheny County's chief executive picked up another endorsement in his campaign for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.

But while city Mayor Jim Brewster was endorsing Dan Onorato, Onorato stopped short of endorsing Brewster's proposal for sharing Marcellus shale revenue between the state and local municipalities.

"I think we agree that Marcellus shale is an important opportunity, and we'll work out the details together," said Onorato following a Thursday afternoon press conference Downtown, where he received Brewster's enthusiastic support.

"There's an awful lot Dan has done for this city," Brewster said, adding that he was confident Onorato would continue to remember the Mon-Yough area "once he's elected."

. . .

Earlier this month, Brewster suggested a 50-50 split of drilling royalties and revenues collected statewide between cities, townships and boroughs and the state's general fund. His proposal is getting serious consideration from two local legislators.

Onorato is suggesting that Marcellus shale revenues instead be parceled out through the state, including a fund that would support an "impact fund" for infrastructure improvements and other development financially stressed municipalities.

"It's definitely different from the mayor's proposal," Onorato said.

. . .

Yet both Democrats agree on far more than they disagree. Indeed, Brewster on Saturday will host a rally on Onorato's behalf at the Palisades, Downtown, beginning at 6 p.m.

"Unless we get the right man as governor, a lot of communities like McKeesport are going to have a hard time surviving," Brewster said.

The mayor blasted the likely Republican nominee for governor, state Attorney General Tom Corbett, for saying that he would have rejected federal stimulus money.

. . .

Brewster accused Corbett of pandering and said the city has benefited from the stimulus package by being able to the hire police officers and purchase public safety equipment.

The pending construction of a flyover ramp into the industrial park on the old U.S. Steel National Works site is also a benefit of the stimulus, the mayor said.

"We're a grateful city," Brewster said.

. . .

For his part, Onorato praised Brewster's six years as mayor of the county's second-largest city, which he called a "classic example" of the problems that face other former manufacturing centers statewide.

"Mayor Brewster is one of the examples of a mayor who gets things done with the limited resources he has," said Onorato, who added that if elected he will provide financial incentives to municipalities that consolidate or share services.

Pennsylvania can hold onto and even expand its manufacturing base, he said, if the state reforms its corporate tax laws, invests in rail and road infrastructure and streamlines state agencies.

"I think America can make things again," Onorato said. "We need to have sites that are shovel ready, and we need to be willing to work with companies to expedite permits. Let's let everybody know that this state is open for business."

. . .

In an interview afterward, Onorato admitted he may have a hard time getting cooperation from Republicans in the state General Assembly, who have fought current Gov. Ed Rendell, also a Democrat, on many of his signature issues.

But Onorato pointed out that other Democrats fought him on such issues as consolidation of row offices, closing 911 centers and cutting 600 jobs from the county payroll.

"I'll get push-back from the General Assembly, like I did with the row offices," he said. "But I had the public at my back. The system in Harrisburg is broken. We all know that, and the culture needs to change."

. . .

Recent polls suggest that although Onorato has an edge on his rivals for the nomination, up to two-thirds of state Democrats have yet to decide who they'll vote for.

Also seeking the nomination are state Auditor General Jack Wagner, a former state senator and Pittsburgh city councilman; Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel, a former U.S. congressman; and state Sen. Anthony Williams. The state's primary is slated for May 11.

Photo Feature: Dancing at the Palisades

They say a picture is worth one thousand words. Today's Almanac amounts to an 11,000-word story, and phew! I'm exhausted!

These are photos from Feb. 13's dance at the Palisades, Downtown, featuring the return of longtime local radio personality Terry Lee Trunzo. The video of that event has now been viewed more than 7,500 times, making it by far the most popular video that Tube City Online has ever produced, and probably one of our most popular features ever. Thank you for your support!

Incidentally, one comment I've heard frequently about the Palisades has been "this is so nice, it's too bad it's in McKeesport," which drives me right up the wall. It's precisely because it's so nice that we should have it in McKeesport.

We need to get over our collective inferiority complex around here and start appreciating the nice things we have. If we don't respect ourselves, how can we expect anyone else to treat us with respect?

Penn-McKee Items Sought

McKeesport Heritage Center is looking for floor plans and interior photos (especially in color) of the Penn-McKee Hotel, Downtown, for archival purposes and possible future projects.

Inquiries to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry in Harrisburg and the Architecture Archives at Carnegie Mellon University have so far been unsuccessful; city fire Chief Kevin Lust has also checked his files without luck.

Originals will be copied and returned, if necessary. Good-quality scans can also be emailed to me. (First initial, last name at gmail dot com.) Donated items will be cheerfully accepted, as well.

(Note: Opinions expressed at www.tubecityonline.com are not those of the authors, and not those of McKeesport Heritage Center, its board members or volunteers.)

To Do This Weekend

Soulful Saturday: The Boogie Hustlers play the Palisades at 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $10 at the door.

Described by one correspondent as "modern R&B infused with Motown, Stax and Muscle Shoals flavors," the band formed in 2003 and is Pittsburgh based.

It features Sean Rig on vocals and lead guitar, Vince Wylie on vocals, Dave Jamison on drums, Ryan Meals on rhythm guitar, Scott Jamison on vocals and percussion, Kevin Barefoot on bass, Denny Karl on keyboards, Rick Matt on tenor sax and Reggie Watkins on trombone.

The 1966 play --- a Broadway hit later adapted for television and the screen --- tells the story of a family of hapless American tourists visiting a Communist country during the Cold War. When they accidentally wander into a restricted area, they're mistaken for spies and must flee to the American embassy.

Tickets are $15 or $7 for students. McKeesport Little Theater is located at the corner of Coursin and Bailie avenues, near Carnegie Library.

The concert will feature pianist Xiaoyuan Huang, winner of the Western Pennsylvania Steinway Society Competition, performing Beethoven's "Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 19 in Bb major," says Bruce Lauffer, music director and maestro. Also featured will be flutist Audrey Whartenby, winner of the McKeesport Symphony Young Artists Competition, who will perform the first movement of Mozart's "Flute Concerto in G Major."

Lauffer will conduct the program that also includes "London Suite" by Eric Coates, "Shepherd Song" (a traditional Chinese folk song) with viola soloist Warren Davidson, "The Moldau" by Smetana, and selections from the Broadway hit "Miss Saigon" and the film "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone."

The concert will be recorded by Pittsburgh's WRCT-FM (88.3) for rebroadcast at a later date.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for senior citizens, and $8 for students, with children 6 and under free.

Cluttered Items from an Empty Mind

School Daze, School Daze: Visiting Propel McKeesport school this week, I was struck by what it doesn't have --- a fancy, ultra-modern building, for one thing. (Alert Reader Adam pointed out the same thing in the comments to that story.)

New buildings seem to be all the rage among Mon Valley school districts, yet Propel is getting by with what amounts to the old St. Mary Czestochowa elementary school, with an addition on one side.

Serra Catholic High School in Haler Heights is also getting by with a building largely the same as it's been since 1961.

You don't suppose that what goes on inside the building is more important?

. . .

And Another Thing: You know another thing Serra, Propel and other non-public schools don't have? School boards. And around here, the makeup of school boards seems to change every two years.

First, one faction gets a majority. Two years later, another faction comes into power. The first board appoints a superintendent; two years later, the new school directors fire him. Principals and assistant superintendents then get shuffled as well.

Now, it's true that Serra, Propel and other non-public schools are not a fair apples-to-apples comparison with public schools. Public school attendance is compulsory, meaning some children are there even though their parents don't care about their education.

In contrast, students who are at private schools have parents who at least are motivated enough about education to select a school.

But I have to wonder what effect the constant upheaval on Mon-Yough area public school boards has on leadership inside the schools.

And the Pittsburgh media ... ignored it. Wow. Color me shocked. Ditto for the Terry Lee event at the Palisades last month. If the Almanac and Cindy Shegan Keeley of the News hadn't been there, you'd have seen nothing.

But if someone had been shot on Jenny Lind Street that night, well, they'd have been all over that.

Nation's Top Charter School? Survey Says It's in McKeesport

The Propel McKeesport elementary charter school on Versailles Avenue has been named the best in the United States by a national rating organization, officials announced today.

The award from the group New Leaders for New Schools validates the philosophy of teachers and administrators, who stress a climate of mutual respect and "no excuses" for pupils and parents, says Tina Chekan, principal since 2005.

The facility, which started in the former St. Nicholas parochial school, Downtown, is offering kindergarten through eighth grade for the first time this year. It's now in the former St. Mary Czestochowa parochial school, which has been expanded.

"We have something truly valuable to contribute about how schools in struggling urban communities can do more for children," Wooten says. "We look forward to sharing our best practices with other schools in Western Pennsylvania and across the country."

. . .

Propel McKeesport was chosen the top school among 89 competing for the Effective Practice Incentive Community, or "EPIC," Gold Award from New Leaders, a New York City-based non-profit funded in part by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Last year, the city school was one of 21 receiving EPIC awards. The awards use the results of standardized reading and math tests to measure the impact of a school on students over a period of time.

During the most recent round of testing, 100 percent of Propel McKeesport fifth- and sixth-grade students scored "proficient" or "advanced" in math.

Nearly three-quarters are minority students and more than 85 percent are receiving free or reduced-cost student lunches because of their family income, says Anne D'Appolonia, Propel spokeswoman.

. . .

The charter school, which by state law is paid for by the local school boards whose students attend, draws about 55 percent of its pupils from McKeesport Area, 30 percent from Duquesne and the remainder from South Allegheny and other nearby school districts.

According to state Department of Education statistics, 73 percent of McKeesport Area School District fifth-graders, 77 percent of those at South Allegheny, and 19 percent at Duquesne scored "proficient" or "advanced" in math. The average across Pennsylvania is 73 percent.

Chekan, a graduate of Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., and the University of Pittsburgh, says Propel tries to instill a "climate of urgency" in its 385 pupils, constantly reinforcing the idea that academics are important --- and that only they and their parents can ensure that they get an education.

"Students are given ownership in many ways," she says, "it's first and foremost in their learning process. The fifth-graders have a saying: 'In order to be the best, they have to beat the best.'"

. . .

As a result, Chekan says, many students arrive for school more than a half-hour early in apparent eagerness to get started.

"I think when children enjoy coming to school, that makes a difference," she says. "I think we've truly established a positive culture in the building."

Although Propel McKeesport does offer extracurricular activities such as a musical, yearbook club and intramural sports teams, it stresses academics over athletics, she says.

Propel also demands that all parents or guardians meet with teachers regularly. If a parent misses two scheduled teacher conferences, Propel sends a school representative to the pupil's home instead.

. . .

Chekan acknowledges that at least some of Propel's success is due to the fact that parents have taken an active interest in the education process, and selected their children to attend. There is currently a 1,200-student waiting list for Propel McKeesport.

But Chekan argues that much of Propel's success comes from the ability of teachers to share best practices across all six of its schools in Allegheny County, which serve 1,700 students, mainly in the Mon Valley but also in the Coraopolis-McKees Rocks area.

The school year is slightly longer --- 190 days versus 180 days in most local districts --- and the day is slightly longer, too, running from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

"More important than the additional time is how you use the time," Chekan says. "I think Propel is proving that all children can achieve despite challenging circumstances."

The 1,931-foot bridge over the Monongahela River connecting Dravosburg with Glassport and McKeesport is to be reconstructed at a cost of more than $30 million. Originally scheduled to begin last year, the work has now been moved to 2011, pending completion of work on the Rankin Bridge.

Although Allegheny County owns the Mansfield Bridge, a ruling from the state Public Utility Commission dating to its construction in the late 1940s calls on the city and Glassport to share the cost of reconstructing the ramps at the south end.

County and federal transportation officials have assessed the city's share at $141,576.

City officials argue that the ruling --- which concerned a series of railroad crossings that were eliminated during construction of the bridge and the widening of West Fifth Avenue --- is no longer enforceable.

The PUC has slated a meeting with local and county officials for March 24.

. . .

They Said It: A couple of public relations snafus involving Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl provided laughs for officials of the Tube City.

Ravenstahl was shellacked in the media for being at the Seven Springs ski resort during the snowstorm of Feb. 5 and 6.

A week later, Ravenstahl lashed out at reporters who questioned him about rumors that he secretly traveled to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, asking: "Do you want to know ... what kind of underwear I wear?"

At the council meeting on March 3, City Councilman Darryl Segina told Mayor Jim Brewster: "I'm glad to see you were in McKeesport during the snow storm, not at Seven Springs."

Replied Brewster: "Do you want to know what color underwear I had on?"

Valley Stays (Mainly) Dry as Rain Goes South

Lighter than expected rain has apparently helped the Mon-Yough region dodge a major flood this weekend.

According to National Weather Service forecasters in Moon Township, a storm system predicted to dump heavy rain in West Virginia's Cheat River basin on Saturday tracked about 50 to 75 miles further south. The Cheat River is one of several tributaries that feed the Monongahela River.

At the same time, the Mon-Yough area --- which expected to receive up to two inches of rain Saturday --- received only a tenth of an inch in West Mifflin to a quarter of an inch in Westmoreland and Washington counties.

Other parts of Western Pennsylvania saw little or no rain.

The Youghiogheny River has put part of Gergely Riverfront Park, Downtown, and the adjoining McKees Point Marina under water, along with parts of the Boston Waterfront area in Elizabeth Township, officials say.

Flooding is also reported around Sutersville, where the Youghiogheny reached flood stage at about 2:30 a.m. today.

At 8 a.m., the Yough was at nearly 21 feet in Sutersville, or about a foot above flood stage. Water levels were expected to begin slowly falling this afternoon.

The Monongahela is expected to crest at Braddock at 2 p.m. today at 18.2 feet --- about four feet below flood stage, and about a foot below the point at which navigation on the river is suspended.

The Mon is a foot and a half below flood stage at Elizabeth, and two and a half feet below at Charleroi. Water levels continue rising at both locations, though forecasters predict they will begin going down in a few hours.

'Big Problems': Flooding Expected Tomorrow, Sunday

If the region gets slammed with heavy rain over the next two days, it says, we've got "big problems."

The Mon-Yough area is eying its namesake rivers warily and preparing for either the usual spring floods --- or something much more dramatic.

Forecasters say the Youghiogheny and Monongahela will start overflowing their banks Saturday night, but the extent of the flooding will largely depend on the amount of rain received upstream.

. . .

Current predictions call for flooding that could force the evacuation of Harrison Village and Isbir Manor in the Third Ward, along with homes in nearby communities such as West Elizabeth and Sutersville.

Officials caution that things will get worse in a hurry if the region gets more rain than expected.

Snow representing between two and seven inches of rain has already melted and filled the creeks and streams that flow into the Yough and Mon, according to the NWS in Moon Township.

. . .

According to the NWS in Moon Township, Western Pennsylvania could get anywhere from a half-inch to two inches of rain tonight and tomorrow.

Severe thunderstorms are also possible Saturday.

That rain will swell rivers already running high as three to four feet of snow has melted this week. This morning, the Monongahela was at 16 feet in Elizabeth and 11 feet in Braddock. By this afternoon, it had gone up a foot.

Although the heaviest rain is expected to fall over central Pennsylvania, if it moves further west, forecasters say the effect could be catastrophic.

. . .

The Youghiogheny River is currently expected to crest at 1 a.m. Sunday in Connellsville and at 8 a.m. at Sutersville, which is 14 river miles from Downtown McKeesport.

At Sutersville, the river is expected to reach nearly three feet above flood stage --- which would reach some businesses and homes in the borough, along with the bike trail on the left bank of the Yough.

The Monongahela is expected to crest Sunday afternoon at four feet above flood stage in Charleroi, three feet above flood stage in Elizabeth, and two feet above flood stage at Braddock.

. . .

Those figures are just shy of what federal officials consider a "major flood."

When the Mon goes two feet above flood stage in Braddock, the Youghiogheny receives so-called "backwater" flooding, backing up into sewers along Market Street in Downtown McKeesport, and flowing into the community park and boat launch along the Yough under the Boston Bridge in Elizabeth Township.

At three feet above flood stage in Elizabeth, many homes in West Elizabeth along First and Water streets will start to take on water, federal officials said.

. . .

Local officials are worried about a repeat of the flood of January 1996, which came after warm temperatures and rain melted more than two feet of snow.

That flood put much of the lower Third Ward underwater, along with parts of Elizabeth and West Elizabeth, and Glenn Avenue in Port Vue. Route 837 was closed for several days between Clairton and Dravosburg.

Current conditions "are similar" to the conditions that created that flood, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which maintains the navigation channels and flood control dams on the Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio rivers.

. . .

Meanwhile, the Army Corps last night released a statement to reassure residents that its flood control reservoirs are using only a fraction of their capacity.

The reservoirs have been steadily drained since February's heavy snows, officials said.

"We have an abundant amount of space to store water," said Werner Loehlein, water management chief for the Pittsburgh District. "We can adjust our operations as conditions dictate."

. . .

The Youghiogheny River reservoir currently has all of its flood storage capacity available, according to Army Corps data collected Friday morning. All other reservoirs in the Pittsburgh area were at less than a quarter of their flood storage capacity.

As a result, those reservoirs can capture more than 30 percent of both the stormwater runoff and melted snow, and release the water in a controlled manner after the threat of flooding has eased, Loehlein said.

That Mysterious Seer from the East (McKeesport)

When state Rep. Bill Kortz, D-Dravosburg, withdrew his bid for the U.S. Senate, he acknowledged that a futile year-long statewide campaign could come back to haunt his campaign for a third state House term ...

Former West Mifflin and Allegheny County Councilman C.L. "Jay" Jabbour is ready to haunt him, filing along with Kortz for a third head-to-head battle for the Democratic nomination. (Patrick Cloonan,The Daily News)

"Even a child of four could discern that the filing had been hermetically sealed in a mayonnaise jar on Funk & Wagnalls' back porch since noon today ... "

Briefly Noted: Route 30 Closed Next Weekend

(Update: PennDOT has rescheduled this work due to inclement weather. See below.)

North Versailles Township would be a good place to avoid next weekend --- at least in the vicinity of Wal-Mart and Great Valley Shopping Center.

A demolition project on U.S. Route 30 near East McKeesport will reroute that highway's traffic up Greensburg Pike and down Warren Drive, the short street that separates Wal-Mart from the shopping center.

About 22,000 vehicles use that stretch of Lincoln Highway during a typical weekday, according to state Department of Transportation statistics.

The detour begins at 8 p.m. Friday, March 19 and continues until 5 a.m. Monday, March 22, said Jim Struzzi, spokesman for PennDOT District 11. Signs will be posted to guide motorists through the detour:

Eastbound drivers will have to make a left turn at Wal-Mart onto Warren Drive, make a right turn onto Greensburg Pike, and then bear left onto the ramp to Route 30.

Westbound drivers will bear right onto the ramp for Greensburg Pike, make a left at Great Valley Shopping Center onto Warren Drive, and then make a right onto Route 30.

On March 19, crews will begin demolishing the aging steel bridge that connects Greensburg Pike to the eastbound lanes of Route 30. More construction work is set for the following weekend --- March 26 to 29 --- and the same detour will be in effect.

Highwood Avenue will remain open to local traffic.

PennDOT is replacing the old bridge at a cost of $4.5 million, Struzzi says. Other work will include new guide rails and drainage upgrades and will continue until this fall.

The general contractor is Gulisek Construction Co. of Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland County.

. . .

Free Homebuying Workshop March 20: First-time homebuyers who need free advice on purchasing a house, shopping for a loan and other issues are invited to a workshop from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 20.

The event will be held at the Mon Valley Initiative, 305 E. Eighth Ave. in Homestead, says Mike Mauer, MVI housing counselor. Free parking and a light breakfast and lunch are included.

Attendees can also get advice on budgeting to purchase a home, "closing" procedures and home maintenance, and learn how to qualify for mortgages that include down payment and closing cost assistance.

The event is targeted at people who have jobs and meet low-to-moderate income guidelines. To register, call Mauer at (412) 464-4000, ext. 4008.

Mayor Pitches Plan for Gas-Well Revenue-Sharing

A plan devised by McKeesport officials for revenue-sharing of Marcellus-shale gas royalties and taxes is getting a serious look from members of the state General Assembly.

The proposal released last week by Mayor Jim Brewster would benefit all of the state's nearly 2,600 townships, boroughs and cities to some degree.

Additional help is specifically targeted at struggling municipalities with stagnant tax bases (such as those in the Mon Valley) or which have a high percentage of tax-exempt, non-profit properties (such as Pittsburgh).

Brewster's plan also calls for any taxes collected on natural gas production to be shared between the state and local governments, with cities, townships and boroughs receiving shares based on their population.

City council last week unanimously endorsed the proposal. Brewster was headed to Harrisburg today to present copies of the plan to the Pennsylvania League of Cities.

. . .

"It's on the right track," State Rep. Marc Gergely of White Oak told the Almanac last week. "I liken it to how in Alaska, all of the residents receive a stipend from oil production. This is a common-sense approach."

Along with fellow Democratic legislator state Rep. Bill Kortz of Dravosburg, Gergely is promising to draft a bill adopting many of the suggestions in the proposal.

Draft legislation could be introduced by April, Gergely said, with public hearings to follow. "What we need to do now is take the mayor's proposal and turn it into legislative language," he said.

. . .

Written by Brewster with assistance from city Solicitor J. Jason Elash and city Administrator Dennis Pittman, the proposal suggests Pennsylvania share with its 2,572 cities, boroughs and townships half of any royalties collected from Marcellus shale gas wells drilled on state-owned land, along with half of any taxes collected from natural gas extraction.

"I would not get caught up in our expectations of how the money will be divided," the mayor said last week, but added "we worked pretty hard on this to make it in-depth enough to show people that we were serious."

The proposal comes less than a month after Gov. Ed Rendell asked the state General Assembly to enact a tax on natural-gas extraction beginning July 1.

. . .
Rendell asked for a so-called severance tax identical to one levied in neighboring West Virginia --- 5 percent at the well-head, plus another 4.7 cents for every 1,000 cubic feet of gas extracted.

Rendell's administration estimates such a tax would generate almost $161 million in the first year, according to published reports.

But a similar plan to tax natural gas extraction was blocked last year by the Republican-controlled state Senate, and energy firms have already voiced their objections this time, vowing to fight any future levies.

. . .

Brewster's plan notes wryly that Pennsylvania is the only one of the top 15 natural-gas producing states that doesn't have an extraction tax.

Since Pennsylvania currently imports 75 percent of the natural gas it uses, state residents are effectively paying the tax already to 14 other states, the plan says, suggesting "this makes no sense."

Under the Brewster plan, about $80 million of the money collected from a natural-gas extraction tax would be divvied up among Pennsylvania's local governments, with shares based on their population size.

. . .

Also to be divvied up among boroughs, townships and cities would be any royalties collected by the state for allowing gas companies to drill on state-owned property, such as game lands and forests.

Nearly 700,000 acres of the state's 2.1 million acres of forest land are already being leased to drillers. The state is asking drillers to pay $2,000 per acre for drilling rights, plus royalties of 18 percent on the volume of the gas extracted.

The state expects to collect $60 million in royalties from gas drilling during this fiscal year. Under Brewster's plan, $30 million of that would be divided amongst local communities.

. . .

The Brewster plan suggests that $15 million of the royalty pool be distributed equally to all of the 2,572 municipalities "as stakeholders in state-owned property."

Additional shares of the remaining $15 million would then be distributed to communities that:

Host natural-gas drilling facilities;

Are in Act 47 "distressed" status, including Pittsburgh, Braddock, Clairton, Duquesne, Rankin and 14 other municipalities;

Have under-funded municipal pension plans; and

Need tax relief because of non-profit, tax-exempt properties such as universities and hospitals.

. . .

Precedent for such a tax sharing arrangement exists already in the state's Liquid Fuels Fund. Each year, counties, boroughs, townships and cities receive shares of the state's taxes and franchise fees on oil and gasoline and use the money for road maintenance.

"We're not trying to reinvent the wheel," Gergely said. "We have to find ways to make this work. There does have to be revenue sharing, and everyone (in the legislature) should be in receipt" of Brewster's proposal.

In 2002, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated that 1.9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas is trapped in the Marcellus shale under Pennsylvania.

Combined with the state's proximity to major East Coast population centers, the state is poised for a "new gold rush" as "tens of thousands of wells" are drilled, Gergely said.

"It's a new natural resource that's never been tapped," he said. "We have to find ways to make this work."

To Do This Weekend

The Palisades Ballroom will be hopping this weekend with a performance by Wayne Macuga's big band on Saturday and a CD release party on Sunday.

Tickets to see Macuga's 17-piece orchestra are $10 at the door, and dancing begins at 8 p.m Saturday.

. . .

On Sunday, the Blues Society of Western Pennsylvania debuts its new album, "Blues From the Burgh: 2." A compilation of tunes from 18 Pittsburgh-area blues artists, proceeds from the CD will benefit Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, Adagio Health, Blues in the Schools and other local charities.

The entertainment begins at 2 p.m. and tickets cost $5. CDs will be on sale during the event at a special price, a spokesman said. The Palisades is located at 100 Fifth Ave. at Water Street, near the Jerome Avenue Bridge.

. . .

Meanwhile, McKeesport Little Theater has moved "opening night" for its upcoming performances of "Don't Drink the Water." The show now begins its three-week run next Friday, March 12, and a Thursday night show has been added on March 25.

Officials Make Evacuation Plans for Possible Flooding

With National Weather Service forecasters warning that the possibility of a flood is more than four times above normal, city officials are preparing to evacuate several low-lying areas and to close flood-prone roads and streets.

"After the snow comes the water, and in March we're notorious for having floods," says Ed Coulter, city emergency management coordinator.

. . .

The snow on the ground in the Mon-Yough area represents 2 to 3 inches of water already, say experts at the National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center, based in Minnesota.

In the mountains south of the city --- along streams and creeks that feed the Monongahela and Youghiogheny rivers --- it's more like 4 to 6 inches of water, the agency says.

Although no flooding is forecast through Wednesday, an NWS report released Friday morning says the outlook could change rapidly.

Forecasters are particularly wary of a storm system expected to develop late next week over Tennessee and then move north toward Western Pennsylvania.

. . .

According to the NWS in Pittsburgh, 3 inches of rain in any 24-hour period could trigger flash flooding in Allegheny, Washington and Westmoreland counties.

"Given the prevailing storm track, the Upper Ohio River Valley could receive above normal precipitation," the report says. "If there is a surge of warm air with one of these storms, producing quick snow melt, flooding is likely."

The ground is already saturated with water, and a combination of rapidly warming temperatures and several inches of rain could cause flooding, the agency says.

Flood-control reservoirs have already been lowered below normal levels in anticipation of "above normal snowmelt," according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Pittsburgh District.

. . .

There's recent precedent for such an event. In January 1996, storms dropped more than 23 inches of snow on the region. A sudden warm snap a week later combined with heavy rains to trigger floods throughout Western Pennsylvania.

The resulting deluge caused heavy damage at Harrison Village, a public housing complex along the Youghiogheny River in the Third Ward, forcing 800 people to be relocated.

Portions of Route 837 through Dravosburg and West Elizabeth were closed for several days until the water receded.

In Port Vue, Glenn Avenue was closed when Heath's Run spilled over its banks, swamping houses and several auto-repair shops, and many homes in Elizabeth Borough were damaged.

. . .

Coulter says evacuation plans have been readied for Harrison Village and the adjacent Isbir Manor apartment building in the Third Ward along the Youghiogheny River, and for Auberle Street in the East End.

During the 1996 flood, according to published reports, some residents of Harrison Village complained they didn't receive notice to evacuate, and some had to be rescued by firefighters in boats.

If a flood happens this year, Coulter says, city police and McKeesport Housing Authority police will notify Harrison Village and Isbir Manor residents if they need to evacuate.

. . .

In addition, buses will be available to transport residents to the community center at Crawford Village, while firefighters will have two small boats available for emergency rescues.

Medics from McKeesport Ambulance Rescue Service will provide emergency medical care for the sick or elderly at the Crawford Village center, Coulter says.

Police and firefighters will be ready to close Walnut Street at Eden Park Boulevard; O'Neil Boulevard between Penn State Greater Allegheny Campus and Amherst Street; Fifth Avenue at Lincoln Way; and other flood-prone sections of road, he says.

City's Bill for February Snow Removal: $225K

The bill for clearing city streets after February's record-setting snowfalls will likely approach a quarter-million dollars.

At last night's council meeting, Mayor Jim Brewster and public-works director Nick Shermenti detailed the aftermath of the two storms that whacked western Pennsylvania on Feb. 5-6 and again on Feb. 10 with more than two feet of snow in some areas.

They also defended the city's snow-plowing efforts in the face of criticism from residents who accused crews of acting too slowly to open streets in some neighborhoods.

. . .

"Am I satisfied?" Brewster said. "No. I wish we would have gotten to everybody in a couple of days."

One thing the city could have done differently, he said, was to hire outside help on the night of Friday, Feb. 5, when the snow first began falling, instead of waiting until Sunday, Feb. 7.

Bills for overtime, fuel and outside contractors are currently estimated at $225,000, Brewster said, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency has warned the city will probably not be reimbursed for most of the expense because it was incurred more than 48 hours after the storm began.

Nevertheless, the city has submitted bills for about $80,000 in expenses incurred on Feb. 5 and 6.

. . .

Outside contractors were hired to supplement the city's DPW force of seven trucks and 28 employees, Shermenti said, and the city's Housing Authority and sewerage authority and McKeesport Area School District helped clear some streets.

"When you have the amount of snow that was falling --- two to three inches per hour --- you can't get in front of it," he said. "And you quit salting, because you'll be wasting the salt."

City crews had difficulty clearing some streets, Shermenti said, because the largest trucks are equipped with nine-foot-wide plow blades.

According to county deed records, many of the city's older residential streets are just 20 to 24 feet wide, and with cars parked on both sides, little more than nine feet is left for traffic. As a result, smaller, pickup-size trucks with seven-foot blades had to be sent instead, Shermenti said.

Even using the smaller trucks, 22 parked cars sustained damage from snow plows.

. . .

Adding to the difficulty were downed electric wires and tree limbs. Eden Park Boulevard was closed for two days because of fallen trees and about 2,500 people lost power, many of them in the Grandview section of the city.

Roughly 70 people stayed overnight at a warming shelter in the Palisades Ballroom, Downtown, according to Coulter, with Zoscak's Market in 10th Ward supplied 400 to 500 hoagies for people without power.

"Our priority was to take care of people who were facing emergencies," Brewster said. "Going to work is not an emergency. If you need to go to work that badly, you can walk."

. . .

Councilwoman Fawn Walker disputed that, noting that some people were threatened with dismissal by employers if they couldn't make it to work.

"Many bosses were not giving people the day off, despite the state of emergency," she said. Walker suggested the city needed a better plan for clearing residential streets after a major snowfall.

The city's snow emergency plan calls for major arteries to be cleared first, Shermenti said, followed by routes leading to UPMC McKeesport hospital and then to schools.

"We do have a game plan in place," he said, "but no community is prepared for three feet of snow. Once you start getting three feet of snow, it's over."

Auto Row Added to 'History' Section

I have a small disagreement with another McKeesport alumnus. I maintain that J.P. Mooney Packard was originally at the corner of Fifth and Huey. He maintains that it was always at the foot of Hartman Street.

I am confident of my memory as my stepfather bought a '52 Packard from Mooney and it was by then at the Hartman location. Can you verify this or at least point me in the right direction to prove or disprove this?

I love these kinds of questions, because they are completely pointless, yet they are exactly the type of thing that keeps me up at nights.

Using old telephone books and copies of the Polk City Directory (available at Carnegie Library of McKeesport and McKeesport Heritage Center), we were able to determine that in 1941 and 1944, John P. Mooney Co. was located at the corner of Fifth and Huey streets.

Although the exact address provided no longer exists, it seems to have been on Fifth Avenue, catty-corner from the present Sunoco station that faces Lysle Boulevard.

By 1950, Mooney Packard was at Fifth and Hartman --- specifically, 2409 Fifth Ave. in the East End, which is currently an automatic car wash.

. . .

Mooney's dealership had an interesting history. In the 1920s, John P. Mooney was in business at Fifth and Huey selling Overland automobiles, an all but forgotten make of cars that was nevertheless extremely popular before the Great Depression.

Overlands were manufactured by the Willys-Overland Co. of Toledo, Ohio, which went onto greater fame as builder of Jeeps during World War II.

The Willys company would eventually be acquired by industrialist and steel tycoon Henry J. Kaiser, and then by American Motors Corp. It survives --- at least in spirit --- in the Jeep division of Chrysler Corp. Until recently, in fact, the old Overland plant in Toledo was still used by Chrysler to build Jeeps.

. . .

By 1946, Mooney was selling the Packard, another all-but-forgotten brand of car. During the 1920s, Packards were considered among the finest American cars --- on a par with Rolls-Royce --- and were driven by celebrities and millionaires.

But the Great Depression wasn't kind to car manufacturers, especially not to companies making expensive luxury vehicles. Packard launched new lower-priced cars, the 120 and the Clipper, which saved the company at least temporarily, but diluted its luxury image.

After World War II, a newly resurgent Cadillac --- backed by the superior financial power of General Motors --- usurped Packard's place as America's premier luxury car, and the smaller company went into a tailspin. Hoping to build volume and achieve economies of scale, it purchased the Studebaker Corp. in 1954, but that only made things worse. Within four years, Packard was gone.

. . .

In the meantime, Mooney --- like many Packard dealers --- turned in his franchise and placed his hope and trust in the Ford Motor Company, which was launching a brand-new medium-priced car with one of the most expensive advertising programs ever planned.

The car, which debuted in September 1957, was the Edsel. And you know how that story wound up. Needless to say, Mooney wasn't selling Edsels for very long.

Happily for Mooney and his employees, by the early 1960s he'd taken a franchise for the Volkswagen Beetle, which went onto become the hottest-selling imported car that the United States had ever seen.

Mooney Volkswagen eventually moved to Route 48 in White Oak in the building currently used by Bob Massie Toyota.

. . .

Anyway, Randy's question --- and the recent Pittsburgh Auto Show --- left me wondering where the city's car dealers were located in the years following World War II. It turns out that McKeesport, like many other American cities, had a very vital "automobile row" Downtown in the 1950s and '60s.

Urban car dealerships across the United States were in eclipse by the 1970s, but at one time it would have been possible to see practically every make and model of new car within a few square blocks of Walnut Street.

I thought it was interesting enough to add a new article to Tube City Online's History Section.

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Family, Peers Gather to Honor Baldwin

Category: News || By John Barna

Retired state Supreme Court Justice Cynthia Baldwin receives a proclamation in her honor from Tom Maglicco --- acting for state Rep. Marc Gergely --- as her husband, Arthur, left, and son, James, second from left, look on.

Baldwin, a longtime Allegheny County judge who was recently named chief legal counsel to Penn State University, was the featured speaker at McKeesport Heritage Center's annual Black History Month program, held Saturday afternoon.

The program included a performance of the traditional African-American spiritual "Every Time I Feel the Spirit" by city native Byaar Meekins (above), a former member of the Bach Choir of Pittsburgh, accompanied on the piano by Marilyn Wood Baldwin (below), chair of the center's Black History Program committee and a member of the center's board of directors.

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